page_title: Writing
hierarchical_section_title: Writing
caption_attribution_description: English: Inscription of Xerxes, Van, Turkey It is a trilingual inscription, written in Old Persian, Babylonian and Elamite (from left to right). See [1].
context_page_description: Writing is the act of recording language on a visual medium using a set of symbols. The symbols must be known to others, so that the text may be read.
  A text may also use other visual systems, such as illustrations and decorations. These are not called writing, but may help the message work. Usually, all educated people in a country use the same writing system to record the same language. To be able to read and write is to be literate.
  Writing differs from speech because the readers need not be present at the time. We can read writing from long ago, and from different parts of the world. Text stores and communicates knowledge. Writing is one of the greatest inventions of the human species. It was invented after people settled in towns, and after agriculture started. Writing dates from about 3,300BC, which is over 5000 years ago, in the Middle East.
  Writing today is usually on paper, though there are ways to print on almost any surface. Television and movie screens can also display writing, and so can computer screens. Many writing materials were invented, long before paper. Clay, papyrus, wood, slate and parchment have all been used.
context_section_description: Writing is the act of recording language on a visual medium using a set of symbols. The symbols must be known to others, so that the text may be read.
  A text may also use other visual systems, such as illustrations and decorations. These are not called writing, but may help the message work. Usually, all educated people in a country use the same writing system to record the same language. To be able to read and write is to be literate.
  Writing differs from speech because the readers need not be present at the time.  We can read writing from long ago, and from different parts of the world.  Text stores and communicates knowledge. Writing is one of the greatest inventions of the human species. It was invented after people settled in towns, and after agriculture started. Writing dates from about 3,300BC, which is over 5000 years ago, in the Middle East.
  Writing today is usually on paper, though there are ways to print on almost any surface.   Television and movie screens can also display writing, and so can computer screens.  Many writing materials were invented, long before paper. Clay, papyrus, wood, slate and parchment (prepared animal skins) have all been used. The Romans wrote on waxed tablets with a pointed stylus; this was popular for temporary notes and messages.  The later invention of paper by the Chinese was a big step forward.
  Writing is traditionally done using a hand tool such as a pencil, a pen, or a brush. More and more, however, text is created by input on a computer keyboard.
caption: Trilingual inscription of Xerxes at Van Fortress in Turkey
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "GIMP 2.6.6", "Image DateTime": "2010:06:03 18:05:21", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "158", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF SubSecTime": "890", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1568", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "972", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "224"}